Era of the New Majority

[The Other Castro]

After Indiana, you said Republicans only need one more for a majority but isn't the only other seat they've won West Virginia? Which would make it still 51-49 D control so far.

D's had 52-48 after Susana Martinez appointed John Sanchez Senator for New Mexico after Heinrich's resignation to become VP (it was helpfully pointed out to me that in NM, the replacement does not need to be from the same party). Earlier indications that the Senate was 53-47 were incorrect as a result.

Oh woops I missed that part my bad, keep up the great work

[KingSweden]

United States elections, 2018

Iowa

IA Gov: This is the only real big race on the charts this year. Tom Vilsack initially indicates that he is interested in returning to the Governor's mansion after Governor-for-life Terry Branstad announces he will retire permanently, leading to the catchy Des Moines Register headline "Vilsack is Back!" However, Vilsack decides in the fall of 2017 not to run, denying Democrats their most prominent potential candidate. Neither Michael Fitzgerald nor Tom Miller jump into the race, leaving US Rep. Dave Loebsack to throw his hat into the ring after six terms in Congress. He faces Bill Northey, the Ag Secretary for Iowa, who runs after Kim Reynolds elects not to seek the seat and instead seeks IA-2.

In a mediocre year for Democrats in Iowa, Loebsack, despite a top-notch campaign, loses to the popular and likable Northey, who wins 51-48 in a squeaker. R hold.

IA-2: State Rep. Jim Lykam faces outgoing Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds. Lykam runs up a large margin in Davenport while Reynolds focuses on rural turnout. Loebsack's strong margin in his home district helps carry Lykam over the line against Reynolds, making it one of the upset Dem holds of the cycle.

All other House incumbents are reelected, including Chet Culver in IA-3.

IA Legislature: Democrats retake the Iowa State House, picking up two seats to hold a 51-49 majority, and expand their majority in the Senate to 27-23. It is one of the only states in which Democrats gain seats in both legislative Houses.

Missouri

MO Senate: Ann Wagner is the consensus choice to challenge Claire McClaskill. "Air Claire" has no Akinesque luck this time around, and despite a furious and expensive campaign, loses 53-46 to Ann Wagner in one of the most bitter races of the cycle. R+1 and Republicans have gained the Senate 51-49.

MO-2: Michael Talent, son of former US Rep. and Senator Jim Talent, emerges as the top choice to replace Ann Wagner, winning the five-way GOP primary which is tantamount to election in the conservative district. Talent, 28, wins the general election 60-40 and becomes the youngest member of Congress and the first ever Representative born in the 1990s.

All other incumbents cruise to reelection.

MO Legislature: The Senate stays 23-11 GOP, while the GOP regains two seats in the House to go to 112-51.

[KingSweden]

United States elections, 2018

Louisiana

LA Congress: With no retirements and no interesting races atop the tickets, all incumbents advance easily without a single jungle primary.

[KingSweden]

United States elections, 2018

Wisconsin

WI Gov: After there were rumors in late 2016 that Scott Walker would seek a third term, Walker eventually decides against it after a second term marred by rising unemployment throughout 2017, fresh investigations into the WIGOP by the DOJ and FEC, and out of his desire to run for President in 2020 without any of the fundraising restrictions he was under in 2016. Walker's Lieutenant Governor Kleefisch decides to run in his stead, defeating Attorney General Brad Schimel, whose claim was that he was considerably more electable than the very conservative and polarizing Kleefisch whereas Schimel was lauded by both parties for his work on child trafficking and domestic violence.

Kleefisch taps Frank Lasee as her running mate and faces former US Senator Russ Feingold, who passed on a race against Johnson in 2016 in order to run for Governor this time around, or as he calls it "my last job." Feingold taps former Senate Minority Leader Chris Larson as his running mate.

Kleefisch, despite inheriting Walker's campaign infrastructure and network of donors, does not inspire the same excitement with the activist base and Feingold focuses his energy on linking up with the Baldwin Senate campaign for turnout. As always in Wisconsin, the result is narrow, but Feingold defeats Kleefisch 52-47 and returns the Governor's mansion to the Democrats. D+1.

WI Row Officers: Besides Chris Larson's obvious election to Lieutenant Governor, Evan Goyke is elected Attorney General to succeed Schimel. All other row officers are reelected.

WI Sen: Tammy Baldwin faces former US Rep. Sean Duffy. The race is initially tight, being rated Tossup/Lean D for much of the cycle, until Baldwin starts to pull away towards the end of September. Baldwin winds up winning 51-48 in a precariously narrow contest. Duffy announces his retirement from politics after the loss.

WI-6: Gordon Hintz, the most vulnerable House member in the country, is defeated in a landslide by Assemblyman Michael Schraa, losing 59-39. R+1.

WI-7: Nick Milroy survives against a local Ashland small business owner, winning 50-49 in a narrow race. D hold.

WI Legislature: Democrats pick up one seat in the State Senate to narrow the margin to 18-15, and lose two seats in the Assembly to put the GOP majority at 58-41.

Minnesota

MN Gov: Lori Swanson is the consensus choice of the DFL establishment and she faces no serious primary challenge. The MN GOP, after flirting with nominating Jeff Johnson again, nominate Erik Paulsen instead when he passes on trying to regain his old seat. Swanson easily defeats Paulsen, initially expected to be a promising statewide candidate, winning 51-43 with a third party spoiler on the ballot like usual.

MN Senate: Republicans nominate State Senator Paul Gazelka as a sacrificial lamb to take on Amy Klobuchar. Klobuchar clobbers Gazelka 55-40, with a third-party candidate taking the rest, to win a third term.

MN-7: Though Republican challenges in the Twin Cities suburbs fizzle out against Schmit and Halvorson Wiklund, they get a consolation prize as third-time nominee Torrey Westrom runs again against Paul Marquart. Marquart, a true wave-baby from 2016, does not have the cachet in the district of a Collin Peterson and Westrom wins easily 53-40, with an independent taking the rest of the vote. R+1.

MN Legislature: Democrats lose six seats in the House to have their advantage narrowed to 74-60, avoiding the large losses they have suffered in earlier midterms.

[KingSweden]

United States elections, 2018

North Dakota

ND Senate: The only topline race on the ballot, this becomes the focus of both parties. Without Obama atop the ballot, Heitkamp struggles despite cutting a moderate profile in the Senate - she has further poor luck when Kevin Cramer, the most right-wing credible opponent she could face, decides to run for reelection. She instead faces State Treasurer Kelly Schmidt, who bounces Heitkamp 51-49 in a tight-fought race. An attempted indy campaign from 2016 gubernatorial candidate Jim Taylor fails to get enough signatures. R+1 (R Senate majority now at 52-48).

ND Legislature: The Senate stays 29-18 GOP, and Democrats gain one seat in the House to move to 72-22.

South Dakota

SD Gov: A promising race here - Kristi Noem and Stephanie Herseth Sandlin both decide to seek the Governor's mansion as Dennis Daugaard is termed out of office. The race is tight for much of summer, with SHS even leading in several polls, before South Dakota's (Atlas) blue tinge reverts to norm in the fall as Noem pulls ever-so-slightly ahead. In a surprisingly tight result, Noem defeats SHS 51-48, one of the narrowest results in South Dakota in decades.

SD At Large: Attorney General Marty Jackley is elected to the seat in a landslide after Brendan Johnson decides not to run.

SD Legislature: Republicans win one seat in the House to expand their majority to 56-14, and in the Senate Democrats gain another seat yet again to go to 26-9.

[KingSweden]

United States elections, 2018

Nebraska

NE Sen: Deb Fischer faces only Senator Sara Howard of Omaha and cruises to a 60-39 win.

NE Gov: The lone top-ticket race of any interest. Due to an aggressively right-wing record a la Sam Brownback, Pete Ricketts comes under scrutiny and is thought vulnerable early in the year. However, there is no Democrat of sufficient caliber to reasonably challenge him, and so he cruises against former State Senator Jeremy Nordquist of Omaha, winning 54-45. Both Democratic candidates for major races in Nebraska this year are born after 1980, a fact which is not lost on anyone. Commentators suggest Nordquist's run is designed to set up a future campaign for NE-2. Speaking of which...

NE-2: Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert narrowly defeats Rep. Brad Ashford 52-47 to pick up this seat for Republicans once again. R+1.

Kansas

KS Gov: Alarm bells go off for the national GOP when polarizing SOS Kris Kobach is nominated as Governor out of a vicious primary also featuring Mike Pompeo. Democrats nominate Paul Davis again, and the campaign looks promising into the final weeks. However, Kobach avoids any major gaffes and Kansas' conservative nature carries him over the finish line, 50-48, much narrower than he would have hoped.

KS-01: (Just as an aside here, in 2016 I had someone other than Garrett Love winning this seat. That is incorrect. Garrett Love is the US Rep. for Kansas' 1st Congressional District since 2017.)

KS-04: With Pompeo trying and failing to run for Governor, State Sen. Mike Petersen of Wichita is easily elected here in his stead, defeating Todd Tiahrt's quixotic attempt to once again return to Congress.

Kansas Legislature: Moderate Republicans continue their revolt, winning primaries against the ultraconservatives who defeated them in the Brownback purges of the early 2010s. Democrats in turn lose two seats in the Senate and three in the House, though the ideological needle in both houses moves back towards the center.

[badgate]

That's too bad about NE-2, but to be expected with Ashford. We need Festersen in that seat to hold it.

[KingSweden]

That's too bad about NE-2, but to be expected with Ashford. We need Festersen in that seat to hold it.

I actually have big things planned for Nordquist instead of Festersen, but yes. NE-2 is trending D as Omaha continues to grow rapidly, but it'll probably be the mid-2020s before this seat leans D.

[Gass3268]

Are you planning on looking into redistricting when you get to the early 2020's? Democrats are getting some good results on Governor races in states they need to get split control to push the map making to the courts.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

United States elections, 2018

Indiana

IN Sen: The marquee race in the state, maybe in the country. Joe Donnelly is by far the most endangered Senate Democrat and trails both Todd Rokita and Greg Ballard, the major figures in the Republican primary. Ballard runs up a good margin in native Indianapolis, but Rokita appeals more to rural voters who make up the base of the party. Neither candidate tries to particularly seize the Tea Party mantle like Stutzman did two years earlier. Rokita's win puts him in pole position to win in November - Donnelly's lightning does not strike twice and he is defeated 53-46 by Rokita to become the first Senate incumbent to officially lose as the count comes in. R+1 (Republicans now have effected a 50-50 tie in the Senate and need only one more seat for a majority).

IN-2: Walorski campaigns to retake her old seat from Rep. John Broden, one of the Democratic surprises of 2016. However, Broden's campaign operation and terrific constituent outreach network buoys him against the general R tide in the state to give him another narrow win, and he is returned to Congress by an 1,800 vote margin that in fact expands after a recount. Walorski announces she is leaving politics after the result.

IN-4: With Rokita retiring to seek the Senate seat, State Rep. Randy Truitt wins a wide open primary and in this very Republican district easily wins the general election with nearly 60% of the vote.

IN Legislature: GOP control of the Senate remains 34-16, with the party mostly maxed out of seats in this class. In the House, Republicans take back two seats lost in 2016 to beef up their margin to 66-34.

Todd Rokita is a Tea Party guy.

[KingSweden]

United States elections, 2018

Indiana

IN Sen: The marquee race in the state, maybe in the country. Joe Donnelly is by far the most endangered Senate Democrat and trails both Todd Rokita and Greg Ballard, the major figures in the Republican primary. Ballard runs up a good margin in native Indianapolis, but Rokita appeals more to rural voters who make up the base of the party. Neither candidate tries to particularly seize the Tea Party mantle like Stutzman did two years earlier. Rokita's win puts him in pole position to win in November - Donnelly's lightning does not strike twice and he is defeated 53-46 by Rokita to become the first Senate incumbent to officially lose as the count comes in. R+1 (Republicans now have effected a 50-50 tie in the Senate and need only one more seat for a majority).

IN-2: Walorski campaigns to retake her old seat from Rep. John Broden, one of the Democratic surprises of 2016. However, Broden's campaign operation and terrific constituent outreach network buoys him against the general R tide in the state to give him another narrow win, and he is returned to Congress by an 1,800 vote margin that in fact expands after a recount. Walorski announces she is leaving politics after the result.

IN-4: With Rokita retiring to seek the Senate seat, State Rep. Randy Truitt wins a wide open primary and in this very Republican district easily wins the general election with nearly 60% of the vote.

IN Legislature: GOP control of the Senate remains 34-16, with the party mostly maxed out of seats in this class. In the House, Republicans take back two seats lost in 2016 to beef up their margin to 66-34.

Todd Rokita is a Tea Party guy.

Is he? Shoot. He seems pretty conservative from a Wikipedia glance, but he seemed less so than Stutzman. I'm guessing Rokita would still be a primary favorite over somebody like Ballard, though?

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

United States elections, 2018

Indiana

IN Sen: The marquee race in the state, maybe in the country. Joe Donnelly is by far the most endangered Senate Democrat and trails both Todd Rokita and Greg Ballard, the major figures in the Republican primary. Ballard runs up a good margin in native Indianapolis, but Rokita appeals more to rural voters who make up the base of the party. Neither candidate tries to particularly seize the Tea Party mantle like Stutzman did two years earlier. Rokita's win puts him in pole position to win in November - Donnelly's lightning does not strike twice and he is defeated 53-46 by Rokita to become the first Senate incumbent to officially lose as the count comes in. R+1 (Republicans now have effected a 50-50 tie in the Senate and need only one more seat for a majority).

IN-2: Walorski campaigns to retake her old seat from Rep. John Broden, one of the Democratic surprises of 2016. However, Broden's campaign operation and terrific constituent outreach network buoys him against the general R tide in the state to give him another narrow win, and he is returned to Congress by an 1,800 vote margin that in fact expands after a recount. Walorski announces she is leaving politics after the result.

IN-4: With Rokita retiring to seek the Senate seat, State Rep. Randy Truitt wins a wide open primary and in this very Republican district easily wins the general election with nearly 60% of the vote.

IN Legislature: GOP control of the Senate remains 34-16, with the party mostly maxed out of seats in this class. In the House, Republicans take back two seats lost in 2016 to beef up their margin to 66-34.

Todd Rokita is a Tea Party guy.

Is he? Shoot. He seems pretty conservative from a Wikipedia glance, but he seemed less so than Stutzman. I'm guessing Rokita would still be a primary favorite over somebody like Ballard, though?

He was a Tea Party endorsed candidate but wasn't one of the bigger names. A little bit by not much. He did support Bohner for speaker while Stutzman supported Daniel Webster. I could see Stutzman endorsing Rokita over Ballard. I'd also have Heath VanAtter to replace Rokita rather than Truitt but I'll leave that one alone.

[An American Tail: Fubart Goes West]

I followed this while I was lurking. Keep it up!

[KingSweden]

United States elections, 2018

Indiana

IN Sen: The marquee race in the state, maybe in the country. Joe Donnelly is by far the most endangered Senate Democrat and trails both Todd Rokita and Greg Ballard, the major figures in the Republican primary. Ballard runs up a good margin in native Indianapolis, but Rokita appeals more to rural voters who make up the base of the party. Neither candidate tries to particularly seize the Tea Party mantle like Stutzman did two years earlier. Rokita's win puts him in pole position to win in November - Donnelly's lightning does not strike twice and he is defeated 53-46 by Rokita to become the first Senate incumbent to officially lose as the count comes in. R+1 (Republicans now have effected a 50-50 tie in the Senate and need only one more seat for a majority).

IN-2: Walorski campaigns to retake her old seat from Rep. John Broden, one of the Democratic surprises of 2016. However, Broden's campaign operation and terrific constituent outreach network buoys him against the general R tide in the state to give him another narrow win, and he is returned to Congress by an 1,800 vote margin that in fact expands after a recount. Walorski announces she is leaving politics after the result.

IN-4: With Rokita retiring to seek the Senate seat, State Rep. Randy Truitt wins a wide open primary and in this very Republican district easily wins the general election with nearly 60% of the vote.

IN Legislature: GOP control of the Senate remains 34-16, with the party mostly maxed out of seats in this class. In the House, Republicans take back two seats lost in 2016 to beef up their margin to 66-34.

Todd Rokita is a Tea Party guy.

Is he? Shoot. He seems pretty conservative from a Wikipedia glance, but he seemed less so than Stutzman. I'm guessing Rokita would still be a primary favorite over somebody like Ballard, though?

He was a Tea Party endorsed candidate but wasn't one of the bigger names. A little bit by not much. He did support Bohner for speaker while Stutzman supported Daniel Webster. I could see Stutzman endorsing Rokita over Ballard. I'd also have Heath VanAtter to replace Rokita rather than Truitt but I'll leave that one alone.

I think I'll still have Rokita be the Senator anyways. He'd likely win over Ballard in a primary, Donnelly seems like he's dead meat and that way Indiana's two Senators can be collectively referred to as "the Todds."

[KingSweden]

United States elections, 2018

Oklahoma

OK Gov: The main event. Todd Lamb passes on the race (rumored to be eyeing 2020 instead) and sets up a primary between three-term Congressman Jim Bridenstine, OKC Mayor Mick Cornett, and former House Speaker and Senate candidate TW Shannon. All three candidates represent different parts of the state, and in heavily Republican Oklahoma winning this primary is tantamount to election - particularly after Brad Henry and Dan Boren pass on the race.

Bridenstine, an ardent and polarizing figure even in his home state, splits off much of the conservative vote that Shannon needs. Cornett, meanwhile, is endorsed by both outgoing Gov. Fallin and Senator Jim Lankford and is supported by the OKC business community. Cornett heads to a runoff with Bridenstine after none of the candidates clear 50%, though Cornett had a decisive lead in the primary. Despite many pundits thinking that Shannon's conservative support might skew towards Bridenstine in the runoff, Cornett wins 55-45 and is the Republican nominee. He faces former US Representative, Army Undersecretary and 2004 Senate nominee Brad Carson. Despite the conservadem Carson being in the race, Cornett's moderate profile and lauded stewardship of Oklahoma City powers him to a 56-43 victory. Surprisingly enough, Carson's best margins are in the Tulsa and Little Dixie regions, where he's from.

OK-1: Bridenstine's resignation throws open this Tulsa-based seat. Tulsa's Democratic Mayor, former State Senator and OU Student President Jabar Shumate, declines to run, leaving Democrats without any major candidate to take the reigns here. State Rep. David Brumbaugh runs for the GOP and crushes Democrat Kevin Matthews 61-39.

OK-2: Markwayne Mullin fulfills his promise to only serve three terms, declaring in a statement that he will return to his family business and indicating that he has no plans to ever return to politics. Some Democrats clamor for Dan Boren to return, but Boren signals he has no interest in returning to DC, effectively ceding the race to Republicans. State Senator and former Coburn staffer Josh Brecheen, with major agricultural lobby ties in this rural district, wins the Republican primary against two businessmen. He faces former Democratic Senate leader Charles Wyrick, whom he defeats by a surprisingly narrow 54-45 margin. Wyrick is seen to benefit from the Carson campaign's presence in the district.

OK Legislature: Republicans gain one seat in the Senate to push their advantage to 41-7, but Democrats gain two house seats to narrow the GOP advantage to 68-33.

[KingSweden]

United States elections, 2018

Texas

TX Gov: Julian Castro, expected for years to challenge Greg Abbott here, declines to run, surprising many Democrats. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings jumps in to run instead, and despite early polls showing a tight race after the severe drought and slight rise in Texas' unemployment rate, Abbott wins 56-43.

TX Sen: Joaquin Castro becomes the Castro brother to run, choosing to aim for polarizing, love-him-or-hate-him Ted Cruz. Cruz, despite having been a Presidential nominee just two years earlier, earns serious flack from the moderate wing of the party, which has grown frustrated with his antics and national groups start to coalesce around trying to find a candidate to go toe-to-toe with Cruz. The settle on Mike McCaul, himself a conservative but not a polarizing figure a la Cruz, and as the wealthiest member of the House has the ability to self-fund most of his campaign. McCaul agrees to run despite endorsing Cruz for President two years earlier and the primary heats up, with no other moderates jumping in lest they split the vote and allow Cruz to avoid a runoff.

Cruz, whose more combative brand of conservatism has swept up much of the Texas GOP, relies on his reliable grassroots fundraising sources to raise the funds he needs to keep up with McCaul, who positions himself as a "conservative with the ability to achieve things." McCaul accuses Cruz of self-promotion over trying to actually pass conservative legislation, and in one debate accuses Cruz of having singlehandedly given control of Congress back to Democrats in 2016. Cruz's superior skills as a debater and vast political network, particularly from out of state figures, buoys him and he survives the election 51-49.

After the taxing primary, there are murmurs of Cruz's vulnerability in the general. Joaquin Castro, however, runs a fairly meek campaign that fails to exploit any of the weaknesses of his opponent and he misreads the Democratic advantage with Texas Hispanics, who tend to skew more conservative, and Cruz leads most polls by 8-10 points from September on. Cruz defeats Castro 53-46, which by Texas Democratic standards is one of their best performances in generations and in fact overperforms the polls.

TX-3: Sam Johnson, the oldest member of the House, decides to retire after nearly thirty years in Congress. In his very conservative district, State Senator Van Taylor cruises to election to succeed him.

TX-10: McCaul is succeeded by Lois Kolkhorst, a State Senator from Katy.

All other incumbents are reelected.

TX Legislature: Senate remains 21-10, while GOP gains two seats in the House to go to 100-50.

[KingSweden]

Are you planning on looking into redistricting when you get to the early 2020's? Democrats are getting some good results on Governor races in states they need to get split control to push the map making to the courts.

I sure am! I've drawn a few maps in DRA, so I'll have to post those.

[KingSweden]

United States elections, 2018

New Mexico

NM Gov: Dianna Duran runs for the GOP to replace the term-limited Susana Martinez. Martinez's popularity does not rub off on Duran, who is defeated by popular State Attorney General Hector Balderas 55-44 to hand the Governor's mansion and full control of State Government back to Democrats.

NM Sen: John Sanchez's liabilities as a candidate come through early and often, to the point that national Republicans try to recruit Martinez to run. Martinez, uninterested in leaving the state and her disabled sister behind, declines. Sanchez is challenged 41-year old State Auditor Tim Keller, who runs an aggressive and optimistic campaign against Sanchez, who struggles to stay on message and is viewed as too close to the Tea Party for the left-leaning state. In the only Democratic gain of the night, Keller defeats Sanchez 52-47. D+1 (the GOP majority has now been narrowed to 51-49).

[KingSweden]

United States elections, 2018

Wyoming

WY-Gov: With Matt Mead term-limited and neither Barrasso nor Enzi showing any signs of retiring soon, US Rep. Cynthia Lummis announces a run for Governor and her retirement from national politics after a decade in Congress. Lummis clears the primary of serious candidates, with Liz Cheney opting not to run, and cruises to an easy electoral win in November to become the first female Governor of Wyoming.

WY-At Large: With Lummis retiring, she is instead replaced with a different Cynthia, State Auditor Cynthia Cloud, is elected to replace her in an easy R hold.

Colorado

CO-Gov: GOP State Treasurer Walker Stapleton enters the race for Governor. Regarded as a moderate in a party often dominated by its conservative, rural wing, Stapleton is viewed as one of the few Republicans capable of uniting the fractious party and appealing to the booming, affluent and relatively centrist Denver suburbs. Democrats nominate openly gay former Speaker of the Colorado House Mark Ferrandino, a Denver legislator with a background in fiscal analytics who runs as the kind of fiscally moderate, socially liberal Democrat tailored perfectly to win Greater Denver.

Displeased by the lack of a true conservative in the field, there are rumbles about a conservative third party challenge, led once again by Tom Tancredo. However, Tancredo declines a third gubernatorial bid as Stapleton attracts RGA support and cash. In the general, both candidates run to the center, trying to appeal to swingy Colorado suburbs. Despite the strong economy in the state and its rapid growth, voters narrowly favor a change in power after 12 years of Democratic control of the Governor's mansion and in one of the few - and narrow - Republican pickups, Walker Stapleton wins 49-47 over Ferrandino, with a third party self-funding candidate taking the rest. R+1.

CO-3: Joseph Garcia is reelected in this R-leaning district, narrowly winning 49-48. D hold.

CO-6: Romanoff wins over Cynthia Coffman, who runs to try to reclaim her husband's old seat, 50-49. D hold.

CO Legislature: Democrats expand their Senate majority by winning back one of the seats lost in 2014 to go to 19-16 advantage, and lose one seat in the House to go to 37-28. Incoming governor Stapleton, remarking in his victory speech, says of the results, "I look forward to working with my Democratic friends and colleagues in the months and years ahead to forge solutions for all Coloradans."

[Duke of York]

Cynthia Lummis would be Wyoming's second female governor. Nellie Tayloe Ross was the first female governor of Wyoming elected in 1925. She was also america's first female governor.

[KingSweden]

Cynthia Lummis would be Wyoming's second female governor. Nellie Tayloe Ross was the first female governor of Wyoming elected in 1925. She was also america's first female governor.

You are correct. A little research would have helped me here.

[KingSweden]

United States elections, 2018

Montana

MT Sen: Jon Tester faces US Rep. Ryan Zinke. At the beginning of the cycle, Zinke, an ex-Navy SEAL, is thought of as one of the best recruits. However, his controversial statements on Benghazi and US foreign policy comes across as overly neoconservative in the libertarianish state and he bombs in his last debate with Tester. Tester runs a disciplined, savvy campaign and with a third-party candidate in the race knocks off Zinke in one of the biggest surprise Democratic holds of the cycle 49-45-4. D hold.

MT At Large: With Zinke retiring, the At Large seat is up for grabs. Secretary of State Bryce Bennett jumps into the race only two years after attaining his last seat and actually does okay at first, briefly holding even in polls with GOP nominee Chas Vincent. However, Vincent pulls away over the course of the fall and is elected as the US Rep. for Montana 56-44. R hold.

MT Legislature: Democrats pick up one Senate seat to go to 26-24, a narrow majority for the GOP. Several moderate GOP Senators stage a palace coup and topple the right-wing party leadership in the Senate. Republicans gain one seat in the Montana House to shift their majority to 56-44.

Idaho

ID Gov: Butch Otter finally retires, and Lt. Gov. Brad Little signals no intention to run. Out of a wide-open field, State Controller Brandon D. Woolf wins the GOP primary, tantamount to election in Idaho. He cruises to a 67-30 win over a Sandpoint businessman and two independent candidates, promising to run a cleaner, more transparent government than Otter had before him.

Both Congressmen are reelected and there is no net change in either chamber of the Legislature.

Utah

UT Sen: Orrin Hatch retires, triggering a primary. Dan Liljenquist becomes the frontrunner for conservatives after former Senator Mike Lee declines a run, and none of the Congressional delegation jumps in. Jon Huntsman, Jr. comes out of nowhere with a run, however, and his fortune and name recognition in his home state carries him to a narrow upset win over Liljenquist, who was thought to be the favorite with the conservative electorate. With Huntsman still popular with many moderates and Democrats, Democrats suspend their campaign backing a no-name State Rep. and Huntsman cruises to a 77-22 win, the biggest margin in the country.

UT Congress: The full delegation is returned to Congress.

UT Legislature: No change in Senate, Republicans pick up one seat in House to go to 59-16.

[KingSweden]

(Sorry for the delay in updating, been busy with other things/projects)

United States elections, 2018

Nevada

NV-Gov: Likable, moderate Governor Mark Hutchinson, following his mentor Brian Sandoval's political script and strategy, is in perfect position to win a second term. Democrats, remembering the 2014 wipeout debacle, nominate former AG Catherine Cortez Masto to run. It is a competitive election, but Nevada's R-leaning midterm electorate and Hutchinson's moderate streak carry him over the finish line 52-47. R hold.

NV-Sen: Dean Heller faces Democratic US Rep. Dina Titus from Las Vegas, who runs what initially appears to be a very competitive campaign. Heller moves to the middle, emphasizes his work on the Sandoval immigration bill - very popular in Nevada - and pledges that his next term will be his last. In one of the narrowest elections of the cycle, Heller hangs on in one of the few Democratic pickup opportunities 50-47, with a Libertarian spoiler siphoning votes from each. Heller narrowly wins the Hispanic vote, which is not lost on anyone.

NV Row Officers: Adam Laxalt, the "accidental Attorney General," is defeated in a rematch with Ross Miller, who elects to seek that office rather than challenge the popular Heller. All other row officers are narrowly reelected.

NV-1: In a very Democratic district that is only growing more so, 38-year old State Senator Ruben Kihuen is elected as the next Congressman from this district.

NV Legislature: Democrats pick up the Senate seat lost in 2014 to go to 12-9 in the Nevada Senate and gain two seats in the House to go to 26-16.

[badgate]

NV-1: In a very Democratic district that is only growing more so, 38-year old State Senator Ruben Kihuen is elected as the next Congressman from this district.

Woo!!!!!

[KingSweden]

NV-1: In a very Democratic district that is only growing more so, 38-year old State Senator Ruben Kihuen is elected as the next Congressman from this district.

Woo!!!!!

We have a Ruben Kihuen fan in the house!